1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of ear protector assemblies, and more particularly to a novel ear plug assembly which may be detachably carried on a construction helmet that includes automatic retraction of the ear plugs onto a storage reel under control of a biasing spring in response to manual plunger or switch action.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional practice to use ear plugs in order to protect the ears of workmen while on the job. Workmen who must wear protective helmets or hardhats to protect against falling objects or the like must occasionally work around noisy machinery or be subjected to noisy environmental conditions. In order to store the ear plugs or protectors in a convenient location for the workmen, a variety of attempts have been made to provide elastic band arrangements, storage boxes or the like in order to conveniently provide the ear plugs for the workmen while on a job site. Some attempts are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,841,326; 3,461,463 and 5,074,375. Although some of these devices have been operable for their intended purposes, problems and difficulties have been encountered which stem largely from the fact that although the ear plugs may be tethered to a housing, no means is disclosed for coiling or storing the cord and the ear plugs in a convenient manner when not in use. Nor does the prior art disclose a detachable connection of any housing with a construction helmet.
Therefore, a long-standing need has existed to provide a novel means having ear plugs connected by cords to a reelable device wherein the device is detachably or releasably connected to the brim or crown of a construction helmet so that the ear plugs are convenient for use. Such reelable ear plugs should further include a means for automatically coiling or storing the cord for the ear plugs in a convenient manner, such as by employing a negator or coil spring or the like in combination with a ratcheted reel which is under the control of a finger-operated plunger or release mechanism.